Violin-mute



W. BINGHAM. VIOLIN MUTE.

(N0 Model.)

N0. 538,405 PatentedApr. 30, 1895.

UTNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BINGHAM, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

VlOLlN-MUTE.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 538,405, dated April30, 1895.

Application filed February 21, 1895. Serial N0. 539,244. (N0 model.)

T0 all whoin i't m0oy c0ncern:

Be in known tha.t IWILLIAM BINGHAM, a C1111- zen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Violin-Mutes; and I do herebydeelare the following to be a full, clear, and exaet description 0f thesame, reference being had110theaccornpanyingdrawings,inwhich Figure I isa side view of a portion of a violin, showing my mute in its raised 01inactive position. Fig.1l is a top view of a portion of a violin Witl1my mute attached. Fig. III is a cross-section at the line x of Fig. I.

5 represents a portion of a violin, 6 the bridge a.nd 7 thetail-piece.These nmy all be of any common 01 preferred form of construetion, myobject being to adapt a mute to be readily fitted to any violin so thacit may be operated by the performer while playing on tl1e instrument.

T0 tl1is end my invention consists in a removable attachment to thetail-pieee of the vio1in, adapted to be pressed upon tl1e bridge toimpede the vibration thereof, thus doing the service 01". a mute bylessening the sound 0f tl1e instrument, and to have its pressure uponthe bridge withdrawn to permit the full volume of sound 0f the violin,both 11116 application and che withdrawal so be performed positively bythe operators ehin, as hereinafter more fully described and illustrated,reference being had to the aecompanying drawings, in which- 8 representsthe mute proper, eomprising arms 12 pass to the rear end of thetail-piece where they are bent up and across tl1e line of the instrumentt0 join together at the return bend 15, the two arms being made of aSingle wire throughout.

16 is an arch-shaped ehin-pieee seeured t0 both arn1s a.nd passing overt-he tailpiece 7.

17 is an operatinglever made Of wlre coiled around the return bend 15 0fthe anns 12, baut downward to form a fulcrum bearing 011 tl1e ta.ilpiece 7, beneatl1 the chin-piece 16 and curved at the ends 18 t0 forn1cam-shaped bearings to engage the tall-pieeewhen forced down past itsend.

T0 plane this device upon a violin, first draw the mute 8 ol1 frorn theends 0f tl1e arms 12, then pass the arme along under tl1e wide forwardpart 0f the tall-piece and up between tl1e strings behind a.nd above thebridge until tl1e clip 14 is over tl1e narrowest pa1t of tl1etail-piece, down at the sides 0f which tl1e ears 13 are to be pushed andthen the devioeis to be again pressed forward until the (321111 18 willengage the end of the tail-piece while tl1e ears 13 spread apart 130receive tl1e wedging f0rm of the forward part of the tail-piece t0elaxnp seeurely thereon so as t0 hold tl1e whole device in place. T0give greater field of move ment; permitting the ears 13 t0 separate soas t0 engage tail pieces 0f different widths I may lengthen the clipinto a loop 19 midway, and I may furthe1 provide a binding screw 20 t0draW the ears firmly agaiust the edges ot' tl1e tail-piece and yet, inrn0st cases tl1etail pieces are so ne2u alike in form that the loop 19and screw 20 may be dispensed with. Having secn1ed the Clip 14, plaeethe mute 8 on the ends of tl1e arms 12 and slide it on far enough t0engage the bridge when pressed down. Tl1e arms Will usually projectabout a quarter 0f an incl1 beyond the mute.

In service the lever 17 belng pressed down by the operators ehindisengages l1e c-am 18, raises the real end 01" Ehe arms 12 and pressesthei1 forward ends down Witl1 the mute up0n the bridge, and a spring 21,secured t0 tl1e ears 13 acts 011 the arms 12 to hold them down, wherebythe tone of tl1e violin is t0 a certain degree suppressed. T0 throw Ll1emute 0ut of service the operator presses bis chin upon the arch 16 Whl0hreverses tl1e action before deseribed, raising tl1e mute and leaving theviolin free t0 sound it s full tone. If il: be desired t0 hold the muteraised the operator presses bis ehin firmly Clown upon the arch 16 andforces the cam 18 of 1ever 17 into IOO.

engagemeno with the tail piece wherey the device is held 0ut of service.One fuot 10- cated centrally instead of the two separated feet 9 mightanswer the purpose, 01 even more than two might be used withontdeparting frorn the spirit 0f my invention. Instead of springing theClip 14 over the narrow portion of the tail piece I may unhitch the tailpiece frorn the butt0n 22 and insert it through the c1ip. T0 pennit the1id of a box to close over the violin, remove the mute'frorn the wires12 and they may be Sprung down without perceiving it. Different weightsand forrns of 1nutes for different effects may be fitted t0 the sarnear1ns.

Some 0f the advantages ot this mute a1e the ease with which it may befitted so any violin, its positive aetion am the wil1of the operator t0throw it into and out of service, its autoxnatic means for retaining theposition given it, either 0ut of o1 in service,and its 1ightness,simplicity and inexpensiveness.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new,and desire t0 seeure by Letters Patent, is the following:

l. The combination ina vio1in mute 0fa Clip fitted to wedge npon thetail-pieee forward of its narrowest portion and having elastic ears; apair 0f arrns having bearings in the said ears 0f the Clip andjoined a1;theirrear ends in a return band and bent npward at their forward ends; amute fitted so slide closely upon the said arms and having one or 1n01efeet t0 engage the vio1in bridge, an arched chinpiece connecting thesaid arms near their' 2. In vio1in mutes, a perforated mute properhaving one 01 more feet to engage Ehe edge of the bridge, anda pair ofoperating arn1s fitted to slide closely through the perforation in themute whereby it may be adj usted 01 rernoved, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a vio1in mute, a c1ip 0f e1astie material having depending earsadapted to spring against the edges of the taiI-pieee and to vibrate alitt1e forward and back, and mute supporting arxns mounted in the saidears, substantially as described.

4. In a violin mute, a pair of mute-supporting anns pivotally hungmidway and terminating rearward in a return band; an archshaped chinpiece connecting the said mms and an operating 1ever, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a vio1in mute, a pair 0f mute supporting arms pivotallyhungmidway; alever pivotally seoured t0 their re-ar ends und bentdownward as a fulcrurn point to engage the tail-piece, and a springengaging the arms t0 1naintain the position given thereto by the saidlever substantially as described.

6. In a violin mute, a pair of mute supporting anns pivotally hungmidway and counected at their real ends; an operating lever pivoted tothe rear end of the 2mns and having a fulcrnrn bent to engage the tailpiece and provided With a czun-shaped end t0 engage the tai1 piecesubstantially as described wher eby the device is held id1e,snbstantially as Set forth.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signature in presenco of two wibnesses.

' WILLIAM BINGIIAM.

Witnesses:

O. J. BLOODWORTH, W. B. HARRISON.

